New eastern limit of the geographic distribution of Orsinigobius punctatissimus (Canestrini, 1864) (Teleostei: Gobiiformes: Gobiidae) in northeastern Italy, with biological notes on the species

Stefano Vanni,Gianna Innocenti,Annamaria Nocita,Simone Cianfanelli

doi:10.21426/b634142850

Abstract

A record of the gobiid Orsinigobius punctatissimus (Canestrini, 1864) from the springs of the Gorizia Karst (Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia) is reported, extending the eastern limit of the geographic distribution of the species. This goby lives in threatened spring habitats, and has recently become rarer. However, although O. punctatissimus is listed in the Italian Red List of threatened species as “Critically Endangered” (CR), the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of threatened species classifies it as “Near Threatened” (NT). Despite its risk of extinction, the species is not included in the annexes of the Habitat Directive (EU Directive 92/43/EEC) or other international wildlife protection conventions. Information is given on the taxonomy, distribution, biology and conservation of the species.

Highlights

There are three strictly freshwater Italian gobiids: Padogobius bonelli (Bonaparte, 1846), Padogobius nigricans (Canestrini, 1867) and Orsinigobius punctatissimus (Canestrini, 1864).P. bonelli is a subendemic species, mainly distributed in the Padano-Veneto ichthyogeographic district and in Dalmatia (Zerunian 2004, Kottelat & Freyhof 2007)
The bottom was composed by sand, silt and fine gravel, and was covered by abundant aquatic macrophytic vegetation
The geological substrate was formed by skeletal limestone of neritic and carbonate platform facies from the Upper Cretaceous

Summary

Introduction

P. bonelli is a subendemic species, mainly distributed in the Padano-Veneto ichthyogeographic district and in Dalmatia (Zerunian 2004, Kottelat & Freyhof 2007). P. nigricans is an Italian endemic species, in the Tuscan-Latial ichthyogeographic district (Gandolfi et al 1991; Zerunian 2004) Another gobiid, Knipowitschia panizzae (Verga, 1841), considered by various authors as a congener of O. punctatissimus (Economidis & Miller 1990 and references listed below in the taxonomic history of the Italian spring goby), is an Italian subendemic euryhaline species and is present along the Italian coasts (Gandolfi et al 1991, Zerunian 2004, Nocita et al 2010).

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